The new York Times Book of Science Questions and Answers

Informationen zum Autor C. Claiborne Ray has been an editor at the New York Times for more than 25 years, and has been the writer of the New York Times Science Q&A column since 1988. A resident of a historic Brooklyn neighborhood, she is a cat lover and a major-league jazz fan. Klappentext Why is glass transparent? Why do cats purr? Why do men have nipples? These are but a handful of the thousands of questions that over the years have been asked and answered in The New York Times "Science Q&A" column. At last! the best and most interesting questions-and their replies-have been collected in a book for general readers. From wild animals to outdoor vegetation! from the human body to the heavens above! The New York Times Book of Science Questions and Answers takes readers on a thoroughly entertaining and informative journey through the world we live in. Like David Feldman's bestselling books Do Penguins Have Knees? and Why Do Clocks Run Clockwise?! this is science at its fun-filled best. Featuring answers from a wide variety of leaders across the country in scientific research and education! and illustrated by the delightful drawings of Victoria Roberts! The Times Q&A column is one of the best read features in the Science Times! which is one of the most popular sections of the newspaper. With a daily circulation of 1.2 million people! The New York Times is a leader in conveying scientific information to the general public. This fact-filled handbook for the scientifically curious should prove invaluable as a family reference book! as a classroom resource! as an entertaining subway diversion! and even as a supplement to public libraries' Frequently Asked Questions lists. Double Tides Q. Why are there two high tides and two low tides each day? A. We have all been taught that the tides are chiefly the result of the gravitational attraction of the moon on the waters of the earth's oceans, but there are actually two rotational systems involved, and two bulges of water. First, the moon goes around the earth, or so it appears. Actually, both the earth and moon are rotating around the common center of mass, the center of gravity of the earth-moon system, which is a point inside the earth. About once a month, a circle around this common center is completed. There is a slight excess of gravity force on the side of the earth toward the moon, producing a giant bulge in the water on that side. On the other side, the side away from the moon, the centrifugal force of the earth going around the center of gravity is slightly larger than the gravitational force, so it pushes the water out, away from the moon, making another bulge. Meanwhile, every day the earth rotates on its axis, so the earth is moving under those two bulges twice a day. This accounts for the pair of high tides. The pair of low tides occurs because the water has to come from somewhere. The centrifugal force involved can be visualized by thinking of a pan of water on a phonograph turntable. There would be a low tide in the middle and a high tide on the outside, because the force tends to push water out from the center of rotation. The tidal forces are tremendously more complicated than this simplified explanation, because the earth is not entirely covered by water. There are continents in the way and the bulges in the ocean vary immensely because of these different land masses. Fly on the Wall Q. Why don't flies and ants fall off the ceiling? A. In terms of weight in comparison to volume, flies don't weigh much, so very little force is required to keep a fly from falling. That force is exerted by structures on the tarsi, the tips of the fly's legs. First, there is a set of claws, which can be seen with a very good hand magnifier. There are also spongy pads that have ridges like a ruffled potato chip, provid...

Autorentext

C. Claiborne Ray has been an editor at the New York Times *for more than 25 years, and has been the writer of the *New York Times Science Q&A column since 1988. A resident of a historic Brooklyn neighborhood, she is a cat lover and a major-league jazz fan.

Klappentext

Why is glass transparent? Why do cats purr? Why do men have nipples? These are but a handful of the thousands of questions that over the years have been asked and answered in The New York Times "Science Q&A" column. At last, the best and most interesting questions-and their replies-have been collected in a book for general readers.

From wild animals to outdoor vegetation, from the human body to the heavens above, The New York Times Book of Science Questions and Answers takes readers on a thoroughly entertaining and informative journey through the world we live in. Like David Feldman's bestselling books Do Penguins Have Knees? and Why Do Clocks Run Clockwise?, this is science at its fun-filled best. Featuring answers from a wide variety of leaders across the country in scientific research and education, and illustrated by the delightful drawings of Victoria Roberts, The Times Q&A column is one of the best read features in the Science Times, which is one of the most popular sections of the newspaper. With a daily circulation of 1.2 million people, The New York Times is a leader in conveying scientific information to the general public.

This fact-filled handbook for the scientifically curious should prove invaluable as a family reference book, as a classroom resource, as an entertaining subway diversion, and even as a supplement to public libraries' Frequently Asked Questions lists.

Leseprobe
Double Tides

Q.  Why are there two high tides and two low tides each day?

A.  We have all been taught that the tides are chiefly the result of the gravitational attraction of the moon on the waters of the earth's oceans, but there are actually two rotational systems involved, and two bulges of water.

First, the moon goes around the earth, or so it appears.  Actually, both the earth and moon are rotating around the common center of mass, the center of gravity of the earth-moon system, which is a point inside the earth.  About once a month, a circle around this common center is completed.

There is a slight excess of gravity force on the side of the earth toward the moon, producing a giant bulge in the water on that side.

On the other side, the side away from the moon, the centrifugal force of the earth going around the center of gravity is slightly larger than the gravitational force, so it pushes the water out, away from the moon, making another bulge.

Meanwhile, every day the earth rotates on its axis, so the earth is moving under those two bulges twice a day.  This accounts for the pair of high tides. The pair of low tides occurs because the water has to come from somewhere.

The centrifugal force involved can be visualized by thinking of a pan of water on a phonograph turntable.  There would be a low tide in the middle and a high tide on the outside, because the force tends to push water out from the center of rotation.

The tidal forces are tremendously more complicated than this simplified explanation, because the earth is not entirely covered by water.  There are continents in the way and the bulges in the ocean vary immensely because of these different land masses.

Fly on the Wall

Q.  Why don't flies and ants fall off the ceiling?

A.  In terms of weight in comparison to volume, flies don't weigh much, so very little force is required to keep a fly from falling.  That force is exerted by structures on the tarsi, the tips of the fly's legs.

First, there is a set of claws, which can be seen with a very good hand magnifier.  There are also spongy pads that have ridges like a ruffled potato chip, providing for greater contact or adhesion.  They are cushions, not suction cups. &#1…